Over the holidays, I had modest goals for my YA fantasy novel, Maya and the Book of Everything, and by gum I exceeded them. I had a table at two venues—the Winthrop Christmas Craft Fair and at D.R. Struck’s Landscape Nursery. The books sold well at both venues—I think the beautiful cover draws people in—and I found that I really enjoy the process of chatting about Maya and signing books.

Reviews have started coming in, and I’d like to share one that my friend Beth Clark wrote. She made points that I hadn’t thought of,  and it is always fun to discover different aspects of one’s own work.

Here is her review:

“As I began to read this book, I was surprised at how quickly and well I came to know a variety of characters. Laurie Graves has the ability to create interesting and distinct personalities among her characters. Her descriptions provide vivid, visual images of person and place. I was pleased with the sense of gender equality among the characters; boys and girls, and men and women share prominent places in the action as well as their successes and mistakes. The differences between generations become blurred as the characters work together and learn from each other. Graves also has a knack for writing dialog that is interesting, authentic, and flows well from person to person. The plot of Maya focuses on the struggle between good and evil, with room for examining the gray areas in between. There is plenty of action in the book as the characters move between different dimensions of time and place. Graves maintains a nice pace and flow, drawing the reader in without the action becoming frantic or disjointed. The power of a book, in either written and verbal form, to influence people and their actions provides an interesting framework for the plot. Graves brings the story to a satisfying conclusion while leaving some suspense as a segue into book 2. I can’t wait to read more about the adventures of Maya and The Book of Everything in combating the forces of evil.”

Friends and acquaintances have begun recommending  Maya to librarians and store owners, and I am ever so grateful for this support. As an Indie author, I don’t have the backing of an established publisher, which means word of mouth is crucial for the book’s success. So many, many thanks to those who have read Maya and have taken the time to write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

You can bet that I will pay this forward by writing reviews of some of the books I’m reading, especially those that are written by Indie authors or those that are produced by small publishers.

Onward and upward!

The other day, I was reading Lisa’s blog, Arlingwords and her post  “The Constant Reader, Remodel or Not.”   Much to my surprise and delight, I discovered that Lisa had read Maya and the Book of Everything. Here is what she wrote in that post:

“I turned to the blogosphere’s own Laurie Graves of Notes from the Hinterland. She has written Maya and the Book of Everything and it’s a wild ride. This one does not move at a stately pace, but whirls you along through time (and, dare I say, space) with magic books of knowledge. This is a young adult novel and it takes on issues of knowledge, truth, facts, and the responsibility to use them wisely for the good of the world. There is a hint that it may be the first in a series. I’m beginning to understand all those adults who were reading the Harry Potter books. Write on, Laurie!“

Thanks so very much, Lisa!

The funny thing is that for years and years, I had a problem with plotting. I could come up with characters, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

Well, I guess I’ve figured out how to plot a YA novel.

As Eliza Waters might put it, onward, ho to Library Lost.